Lessons in Retail...Those Not Found in Any Text Book

For those of you who have ever worked in retail you know it can be tough. Many times I have gotten an ear full from an unhappy customer over things I have no control over...like the weather, shipping costs, the day of the week Christmas happens to fall on, etc.

I have had a few customers in my time that have really made my blood boil. While I always believe it is important to treat people with respect and curtesy, I also believe that once you have made me mad it is hard to get back on my good side. I may forgive but I rarely forget (I am a typical woman after all).

Yesterday I had a customer come in to the store that I try to avoid like the plague. Last year he really made me mad by some comments he made about my family, our store, our products, etc. I didn't ban him from the store (I thought about it but I have never banned anyone from our store), but I sure did not rush to be the one to assist him.

Well yesterday I happened to be the only one around when he came in. I took a deep breath, put on a smile, and welcomed him back to the Pecan Shed.

He didn't remember me from Adam.

(I know many of you who know me will make the comment that I change my hair like some people change their nail polish...and I realize that I can be hard to recognize...but my regular customers know me no matter if my hair is blond, brown, black, or red...yep I have been all of those.)

He just talked to me about his recent trips, his upcoming cruises, etc. He was as friendly as ever.

I was still cautious though.

I smiled. I nodded. But all the while I was waiting for the "grouchy customer" who had ripped into me a year ago to show himself.

Then he did something I didn't anticipate. He shared with me how he likes to go up on the upper deck when he is on a cruise and he likes to let all his worries go. He thinks back to his Navy days. He remembers the good times...and he even remembers the not so good times too. He told me he wished he had valued people more than things. He wished he had been better to his children. He wished he had more people in his life now to share the days with.

He teared up and so did I.

At that moment I was reminded of what I already knew. In retail (and even in life) when people take out their anger and frustration on a store employee...most of the time it has nothing to do with whatever it is the customer is complaining about. Most of the time the customer is really in pain about something much bigger, much deeper, much more painful.

A year ago that man was hurting and he took out his hurt on me. He forgot about it soon after he left. He probably does not even remember that day. He had bigger issues on his mind.

I on the other hand remembered every detail of what happened a year ago. I let it eat away at me. I let it build a wall between me and another human being. If another one of my staff memebers had been available yesterday, I would not have taken the time to visit with that man. I would have continued to hold my grudge.

But yesterday I let it go. Yesterday I realized that, while it was wrong of him to be so mean to me a year ago, it was also wrong of me to carry around my hard feelings towards him. I needed to forgive. I needed to be a better person.

Now I don't know what will happen the next time he comes in to the store. I can't control him. But I can control me. So regardless of how he, or anyone else, acts to me I need to remember that I don't know someone else's story. I don't know what they are going through. But I do know that I can make a difference. I can be nice. I can be understanding. I can be forgiving.

This time of year when all the holiday activities are upon us it can be easy to think of it being "the most wonderful time of the year"...but for some it may not be. So I hope to remember that if I come across an unhappy individual while I am working or out shopping myself...that I don't know their story. I don't know what they go through day in and day out. I don't know how the holidays make them feel. I just need to let go of whatever may hurt my feelings and send up a little prayer for God to bless them and to help them with whatever may be hurting them.

I have learned a lot in working at the Pecan Shed. I have learned about pecans, fudge, buying inventory, marketing a store, creating reports for CPAs...I have learned so much about business in the "real world". However, my greatest lessons have come from learning how to treat people. I may not always do it right, but it seems like God keeps presenting me the problem until I DO get it right.

Funny how God works. He shows His teachings in the most unlikely of places.